Separated
by cassidy0717
Summary: *Pre-Avengers**One-Shot**Adjusting Universe* After a rough beginning, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff are now best friends. It just turned three years since Natasha joined SHIELD when Fury decided to split up their partnership, unless absolutely necessary. But assassins always find a way.


**Author's Note:**

I have one other one-shot to my series to add but it won't be up until after i finish the next story after 'New Life'.

Also, I found the picture and was surprised because it was exactly like a scene I described later in this story! I changed it a bit but still! :) Hope you like!

* * *

Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff were together in the gym. It was almost midnight and then it would be three years since they were paired together.

Clint was laying down on one of the mats, Natasha sitting near him. At this hour no one was in the gym and most were sleeping. But not these two. Since the two weeks after their mission in Krakow, India the pair really bonded. They were close friends by now and Clint was happy to see that she and Phil Coulson are getting more used to each other.

"Getting sleepy yet Romanoff?" Clint nudged her playfully. She grinned down at him.

"No way. You?" She raised an eyebrow and lay down next to him.

"Nope."

"What time is it?" She asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

"Eleven-fifty eight." He answered her. Natasha nodded but a yawn forced its way out. Clint looked over and laughed.

"Fall asleep on me and I'll leave your ass." He said and she laughed.

"People will think I worked myself to death." She smiled.

Natasha rubbed her eyes and stretched her legs out. She sat up suddenly and looked back at Clint who sat up in response.

"I have a idea." She said and crossed her legs.

"What?" He asked as he pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them.

"We haven't been out on a mission in six days now but we've been at Shield. Next time after a mission and we call it in, we should just stay away until they call us again." She said and glanced at him.

He looked over at her and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Don't know why I haven't thought of that"

"'Cause I'm smarter than you." She smirked.

"In your dreams." He shot back and she smiled at him.

One of the doors leading in to the gym suddenly opened and the two shot up. Phil Coulson walked in.

Clint laughed and Natasha smiled as he walked closer, smiling himself.

"What are you doing here?" Clint asked when he came to stand in front of them.

"Needed to see you two and figured you'd be together. I already checked everywhere else." Phil shrugged.

Clint looked down at his watch. Another minute until midnight.

"Why did you need to see us?" Clint asked.

"Director Fury wants to see you."

"Right now?" Natasha asked with furrowed eyebrows. Phil nodded.

"What if we had been asleep?" Clint questioned.

Phil laughed. "Yeah, ok." He said and started to walk away. The pair followed and Clint looked down at his watch again.

12:00

He smiled at Natasha and she smiled back with a knowing look.

* * *

"Sit." Fury said when Phil left them alone in Fury's office. They sat down. Natasha sat down quickly and sat straight as she looked at Fury with patience and a blank expression. Clint on the other hand sat down with a slight smirk. He looked around the room then eyed Fury with a daring yet playful expression.

"I'm splitting you two." Fury announced. Clint lost the smile as they stared at him.

"What?" Clint finally managed to say.

"You are the two best agents I have. I won't waste both of you on one mission unless it's necessary." Fury said and stood from his desk.

"Romanoff will get her first solo mission tomorrow. I'll see you then Romanoff. Dismissed." He said and eyed them until Natasha stood and glanced at Clint. Clint watched Fury for a second longer then stood. They walked out in silence.

The hallways were quiet and neither talked.

"He did have a point about us but there has to be more." Natasha finally said. "I guess they trust me enough now to go out and be alone."

Clint nodded.

"Come with me tomorrow." She said when he didn't respond and Clint glanced over.

"What?" He asked.

"When I get assigned my mission. Come with me." She said.

"OK." He smiled. "Fury probably won't like it."

Natasha laughed. "Like that's ever stopped you before."

* * *

When the time came, both Clint and Natasha walked into Fury's office. He raised his eyebrow when he saw Clint.

"I said this was a solo mission Barton." He said.

"Yeah I heard." He said and Natasha looked over, she broke into a smile at how relaxed he was around Fury. "Sir." He added and grinned at her. Natasha rubbed her lips together and looked away. Fury sighed but just picked up a file.

"Jack Alfie in London currently. We think he is working on a weapon that has the potential to wipe out a lot of people. We need you to watch him closely and get some information out of him. If it becomes necessary, take him out. The rest of the information is in there. You ship out in two hours." Natasha took the file and nodded before she and Clint walked out.

"Sounds easy enough." She said but it suddenly hit her that she would be going alone. She still felt bad about the way they were that first year leading up to Krakow. Missions after that weren't so bad actually. They were so much easier when they did them as a team and she wondered why she always fought him so hard in the beginning.

They didn't really talk as they made their way to their rooms. Hers was next to his actually. She didn't know if the purposely did that so he could keep an eye on her like the reason they paired them together, or if was really just a coincidence.

He easily followed her in and she closed the door.

"Ok, can you get my-"

"Your lucky guns?" Clint smirked with a raised eyebrow. Natasha grinned.

"I never said they were lucky," She said.

"Yeah but you take them everywhere, so you must think something of them." He said as he got out her favorite two guns.

She just shook her head playfully and walked to the bathroom with a bag to start getting things packed.

He sat in one of the recliner chairs with his knees bent over the arm rest and his back leaning on the other. He looked around the room. He's been in here before. No big deal. He's helped her move some thing's and helped her pack or set up things.

When she came out she shoved in just a few extra clothes then packed loads of weapons in another bag. He watched her handle them with ease.

"Why are you watching me?" She asked even though her back was turned.

He laughed. "How do you know I was?"

"How do you know when I look at you?" She shot back, looking over with a raised eyebrow. That was true. He always knew when she was nearby right from her day one. It took her a little longer but now she seemed to know when he was close by. They were still the only people who could hope on sneaking up on them but even then it only took moments to realize they were behind them.

"What are you going to do here?" She asked as she started to pack her things again.

"I dunno," He shrugged and looked away. He reached for a knife on the table near him and twirled it around his fingers.

"They won't send you out. Not until I get back." She laughed.

"Why not?" He wondered glancing up at her.

"So you can be ready if I decide to run off." She was smiling but her smile slowly fell even though her back was turned toward him and he couldn't tell. She walked to her dresser that was pushed against the opposite wall and let out a breath.

Suddenly a knife came flying right next to her head before smacking and sticking in the wall. She let out a surprised breath and her eyes widened. She started to smile though even as she turned around. Clint was already out of the chair and was walking toward her.

"You wouldn't run off Natasha." He said, his voice low.

She smiled at how easily he said her name. They were close enough now. She didn't mind, she even liked it when he said her name but they only ever did when they were completely alone and away from cameras.

Natasha thought about arguing playfully or saying something sarcastic but instead she cocked her head to the side slightly.

"You're right."

He smiled at that and they watched each other for a second before there was a knock at the door.

"Barton." It was Phil's voice.

"Yeah." He called and Phil walked in to see Clint walking to a chair and Natasha was closing a drawer from her dresser.

"Almost ready Romanoff?" He asked.

"Yes." She answered and zipped her bag.

"I've been assigned to go with you. I'll stay at the safe house and help you get through your plan." He said and Natasha noticed he glanced over to check on Clint.

"Ok. Are you ready now?"

"Yes." He answered and looked around for a second when no one moved. "Uh, I'll get my bags." He pointed at the door and walked out.

After the door closed on its own Natasha looked at Clint who was standing up again.

"Come on Clint." She smiled and slung her backpack of clothes on her right shoulder. He grabbed her bag of weapons before she could and smiled at her as he walked out the door. She followed with a playful shake of her head.

* * *

When Phil and Natasha were officially in the air Natasha took in a deep breath. She felt nervous for some reason. Natasha opened her file and went though it. Phil Coulson looked over at her from his own file.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes." She answered right away without looking up. Phil watched her for a second more before looking away.

* * *

Clint watched as the jet disappeared from his vision, taking away his only two friends. Clint turned and walked back to his room. He scanned it quickly before spotting his bow and decided he should practice. He hasn't practiced in awhile.

* * *

Four days later

* * *

"We're almost there. You should probably get to the Infirmary first to have that checked out." Phil said to Natasha.

The mission was over and done with. She succeeded her first solo mission but not without a few injuries. She had a cut on her left side just under her ribs from a knife that was under a single cloth that was being pressed down by her own hand. She had refused Phil to look at it and claimed she was fine when it happened a few hours ago.

"No." She answered and turned away from the window to look at him like he lost his mind.

"Romanoff-"

The jet landed and Natasha stood up suddenly. "It's fine. No one has to look at it." She said before grabbing both her bags herself and walking away.

Phil watched her go. He really had thought she was getting better. She won't even let a doctor look at her though. Not even him when it happened. He knew they still weren't as close as Clint had wanted but he was still closer than any old SHIELD agent. He felt kind of bad by her rejection but that was just how she was. Phil sighed as he leaned down to get his own bag.

She just wouldn't let anyone in.

* * *

"Clint," Her warn down voice reached him as she stumbled slightly into his room and shut the door. Clint jumped up from his desk and she set her bags down.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his instant smile fading as he took her in.

"I need help." She said as she shook her head and peeled back the cloth she was holding on her side.

"Ok, sit down." He said and moved to his closet. She walked to his bed and sat down on the edge. He pulled up a chair as he set a box next to her.

He looked at her wound as she lifted her arm. She saw him squint slightly and try to move the fabric of her ripped uniform farther away to get a better look.

"Here," She said and moved her right hand to the zipper on the front of her SHIELD uniform. She stopped and gave a small smirk.

"Keep your eyes on the cut."

Clint chuckled. "Yes ma'am."

* * *

When he was done cleaning and stitching her cut he started to pack his supplies and he turned to put them back in his closet. Natasha carefully pushed her arm back through the long sleeve of her uniform and she zipped the front back up. She looked down at the tear in the fabric on her side and sighed.

"So besides the obvious, how was the mission?" Clint smirked as he walked back and sat on his chair.

"It was good. Different doing it alone again after all this time but," She shrugged and he nodded.

"What have you been up to?"

"Nothing at all. I was bored to death." He smiled and she laughed lightly. "But uh, Fury did give me a mission. I actually have to leave soon."

Natasha nodded slightly and looked back to his desk. There was an open bag there. So that's what he was doing when she walked in.

"Ok." Was all she said. He cocked his head to the side slightly but nodded and stood up.

"I'll be back in a few days ok?" He said as he zipped his bag that was still on his desk and checked his clock.

"Yeah." She said and stood. "I'll be here." Natasha smiled and he smiled back.

* * *

It turns out since he's been tied down with Natasha that he has some catching up to do with new hits. It's been a week since he left and Natasha just got called into Fury's office for another mission.

As she left she couldn't help but feel a little happy. They trusted her to go out on her own without Clint here to come after her if she decided to 'run-off'.

* * *

Two days later

* * *

Natasha was walking into her safe house after she got the information she needed and just finished taking out her target. She closed the door behind her and turned on the light when she heard something in a different room. Natasha tensed. She pulled her gun and scanned the room before making her way to the hallway. She turned down it and saw the bedroom door was cracked. She kicked it the rest of the way open as she jumped in the room. Right away someone grabbed her gun and twisted it out of her hand.

It was dark in her room and the light shining in from the other room was all she had to just make out a dark figure of a man. She struck out with an elbow to his gut and she latched onto his arm as she twisted around him. He surprisingly seemed to know that move as he twisted with her and grabbed her other shoulder from behind to pull her and he knocked her legs out. She fell down suddenly and was starting to be pinned down before she slithered out from beneath him and kicked him away.

She jumped back to her feet and ran for him. She got her left foot on his right thigh to hoist herself up and was planning a kick to his jaw but he snatched her foot. She twirled with it and was in a blur of motion as she twisted around him. She went for a move she used a lot but hasn't yet named where she got her thighs or legs around their neck and twisted to throw then on the floor usually resulting in a broken neck but she has used it to just knock someone out before.

The man seemed to understand her motives and she was being pushed away, making her fumble in her usual swift and efficient move. She did manage to twist her body around him and sent them both to the ground. She fell and landed on her back and moments later felt the weight of her attacker just before a knife was pressing into her neck. Her limbs were firmly held down and she scrambled for a plan to break this hold when she suddenly heard a soft laugh. He eyes widened as her tense muscles relaxed. She knew that laugh. Suddenly the weight was gone and she snapped in a sitting position when the lights clicked on.

"Clint," She said with a surprised breath. He was smirking as he leaned on the wall near the light switch.

She couldn't help the laugh as she stood.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. She actually felt like yelling at him for surprising her like that. She could have killed him. But saying those words out loud to him didn't feel right to her.

"Finished my mission and heard you got your own. Tracked you down on a computer and here I am. You do remember what you said to me two week ago right?" He raised an eyebrow and walked toward her.

_I have an idea." She said and crossed her legs._

"_What?" He asked as he pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them._

"_We haven't been out on a mission in six days now but we've been at Shield. Next time after a mission and we call it in, we should just stay away until they call us again." She said and glanced at him._

Natasha smiled. "Of course. It was my idea."

"Ok then. So let's go." He smiled at her. Natasha furrowed her eyebrows. "Just leave?" She asked. She knew she thought of it but she never knew if they could or how it would work.

"Yes, come on Natasha. Don't wuss out on me." He smirked and picked up her bag from the other side of the bed. She didn't like to unpack her bags because what if she needed to leave in a hurry? It would slow her down.

Natasha smirked. "Ok. You're right."

Clint nodded and handed over her bag as he grabbed his own.

"Let's get out of here."


End file.
